Affective Social Buffering

NCT ID: NCT04312945

Last Updated: 2026-01-23

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 202 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-07-17
• Study Completion Date: 2025-02-17

Brief Summary

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the mechanisms through which parental buffering of stress physiology during affective stimulus presentation diminishes with pubertal development and whether this diminution of effectiveness extends to social buffering by peers (best friends), in comparison to a lack of social partners.

Detailed Description

On visit one, the participant will complete questionnaires, including ones on pubertal development, screening for MRI safety, and quality of relations with parents and friends.

Within 2 weeks the participant will return to the University where they will undergo the following protocol. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of 3 conditions that differ by who is with them in the scanner room: Primary Parent, Close Friend, No Social Partner. (N=50 per condition, 25 male, 25 female).

Once at the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, participants and the individual who will be with the participant in the scanning room will undergo an MRI safety screening (the repeat of what was completed over the phone). Females will be shown to a changing room where the investigators will privately question them about any possibility of pregnancy. The participant will also have a chance to experience a simulated MRI in order to determine whether they will be comfortable in an actual MRI. Participants will be shown into the scanning control room and one more safety check will be performed before they enter the scanner room and the scanner. If they are in one of the social buffering conditions, the social buffering partner will also enter the scanning room and will sit to the side of the scanner.

The scanning bed will then be moved into the barrel of the MRI machine. The participant will be wearing head phones to protect his/her hearing and to receive instructions from the control room. The participant will then complete two emotionally evocative paradigms. The investigators will use a 3T Siemens Prisma scanner with a standard 32-channel phased array head coil.

Conditions

Social Stress; Adolescent Behavior

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Primary Parent

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of 3 conditions that differ by who is with them in the MRI scanner room: Primary Parent, Close Friend, No Social Partner.

In this case, the primary parent was present in the MRI room during the assessment.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Questionnaires

Intervention Type: OTHER

The participant will complete questionnaires, including ones on pubertal development and quality of relations with parents and friends.

MRI

Intervention Type: OTHER

Within 2 weeks of the first study visit, the participant will return to the University where they will undergo MRI.

Close Friend

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of 3 conditions that differ by who is with them in the MRI scanner room: Primary Parent, Close Friend,No Social Partner.

In this case, the close friend was present in the MRI room during the assessment.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Questionnaires

Intervention Type: OTHER

The participant will complete questionnaires, including ones on pubertal development and quality of relations with parents and friends.

MRI

Intervention Type: OTHER

Within 2 weeks of the first study visit, the participant will return to the University where they will undergo MRI.

No Social Partner

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of 3 conditions that differ by who is with them in the MRI scanner room: Primary Parent, Close Friend, No Social Partner.

In this case, no social partner was present in the MRI room during the assessment.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Questionnaires

Intervention Type: OTHER

The participant will complete questionnaires, including ones on pubertal development and quality of relations with parents and friends.

MRI

Intervention Type: OTHER

Within 2 weeks of the first study visit, the participant will return to the University where they will undergo MRI.

Interventions

Questionnaires

The participant will complete questionnaires, including ones on pubertal development and quality of relations with parents and friends.

Intervention Type: OTHER

MRI

Within 2 weeks of the first study visit, the participant will return to the University where they will undergo MRI.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• sufficient vision to complete assent and study procedures
• sufficient hearing to complete assent and study procedures
• sufficient language skills to provide verbal and written assent

Exclusion Criteria

• Premature birth (less than 37 weeks)
• congenital and/or chromosomal disorders (e.g. cerebral palsy, FAS, mental retardation, Turner Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Fragile X)
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• history of serious medical illness (e.g., cancer, organ transplant)
• youth taking systemic glucocorticoids
• youth taking beta-adrenergic medications
• diagnoses of psychiatric illness, seizure disorder or other neurological disorders
• contraindications for MRI (implanted medical device; presence of non-removal metal in or on the body, including piercings, orthodontic braces or certain permanent retainers)
• known pregnancy
• tattoos
• history of significant claustrophobia

• Minimum Eligible Age: 11 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 14 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Minnesota

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Megan Gunnar, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Minnesota

Kathleen Thomas, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Minnesota

Locations

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Countries

United States

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

STUDY00006378-2

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id